Whether or not SEO is dead is not a question that has been answered by Google. Google is constantly changing and updating their algorithms, but they have not completely eliminated search engine optimization. Some of the major changes that affect search engine rankings include social media sites and mobile search.
White-hat tactics are the fastest way to succeed in SEO
If you’re looking to build a better website, then it’s time to learn how white-hat tactics can make you more successful. White-hat SEO is an effective and less expensive strategy to grow your online business. It can also help you achieve long-term success.
Using a combination of white-hat strategies can increase your visibility and conversions. You can also create a better user experience. The new wave of technology demands that you give your audience what they’re looking for. This means that content is one of the most important factors in search rankings.
With this in mind, you must focus on the quality of your content. Quality content adheres to Google’s rules and makes it easier for your users to find what they need.
Another important element of white-hat SEO is the link building process. Linking to authoritative sources can boost your website’s authority and improve your rankings. Links to authoritative websites show your audience that you’re credible and trustworthy. In addition, links from sites with high domain authority will encourage people to share your content.
In addition, you must take care of your website’s health. A poorly-maintained site can cause you to lose your ranking. To avoid this, schedule regular website audits. These will check for on-page and technical errors.
Lastly, you should pay attention to your website’s speed. Speed is an important ranking factor. Having a fast website will help you increase traffic. Make sure that your website is optimized for mobile. Mobile-friendly websites are becoming more popular, and 77% of all searches are conducted on a mobile device.
With the right combination of white-hat techniques, you can improve your website’s visibility and boost your conversion rates. You can also protect your website and keep it safe from spammy tactics.
Google’s 2019 BERT update
The biggest update to Google’s algorithm in the last five years is called BERT. This update is meant to give Google a better understanding of the intent behind user queries.
The BERT algorithm is a neural network-based technique for analyzing natural language. It uses a masked language model to understand the context of words. The algorithm also has pre-training that helps the computer improve its natural language processing tasks.
This algorithm will likely change how web results are ranked. BERT will read the query text as a whole and prioritize the most relevant results based on that.
Google states that BERT does not replace RankBrain, but it does help the search engine to better analyze the meaning of keywords. However, the BERT update won’t affect your rankings in the short term. Rather, it will have a more pronounced impact on longer searches.
SEOs will need to change the way they produce content and optimize websites. They will need to learn new terms and processes to take advantage of this update.
The update will not make Google penalize websites. It will only give Google a better understanding of the searcher’s intent. As of now, BERT is only used on one in ten searches.
SEOs may see a drop in organic traffic, but this should be minimal. Instead, it is important to expand the depth and quality of your content. Look for search queries that are no longer ranking. Create content that is more relevant.
Google’s BERT update is not a major change to the search engine, but it does affect how you do SEO. Be sure to check your site’s Search Console and your pages that are no longer ranked to ensure you are not losing traffic.
Facebook makes Google search less relevant
The deal between Facebook and Google is getting a lot of press. For one thing, it’s a win-win situation for publishers and advertisers. They can reap the benefits of the ad auctions and have access to the Facebook audience data. However, the deal also raises new concerns about technology companies banding together.
Facebook is trying to cement its status as the owner of everyone’s online identity. It’s got an Everest-sized mountain of user data, and has made a number of cuts in the third-party data collection business. But its search feature doesn’t do anything groundbreaking.
What does Google do that Facebook hasn’t already? While Google isn’t doing much in the way of social media, it does organize a huge amount of information.
Google’s web-trolling algorithms don’t see much social activity. And while Facebook’s search feature has been around for a few years, it still has a ways to go before it can compete with the 3.5 billion queries Google sees each day.
Google’s other big win has been its ability to identify and target users. As part of the deal, Google and Facebook agreed to work together to help each other understand ad targeting. This will help the companies understand which ads are most relevant to different audiences.
Facebook Graph Search is the next iteration of Facebook’s search feature. It lets you search for a person or group, and it works across languages. You can find books, TV shows, music, and other items. Currently, it only works in English, but Facebook is looking into expanding it to other languages over the next few months.
There’s no question that Google is still a contender, but Facebook has a few tricks up its sleeve to take on its giant.
Link spamming was a way to build a positive backlink profile
When Google first started rolling out their new algorithm, it was important to create a positive backlink profile to boost your SEO rankings. That means that you’d need to generate a lot of links to get higher ranks on the search engine results pages (SERPs). However, not all backlinks are created equal.
Historically, low-quality link building strategies such as guest blogging were quite popular. However, this tactic was now considered to be a spammy practice.
Today, the algorithm is better able to distinguish natural links from artificially generated links. This means that low-quality links have a much smaller impact on your overall SEO strategy. Nevertheless, they can still cause problems.
In order to protect yourself against toxic links, it is important to do regular checks of your link profile. You’ll need a tool that can help you analyze the quality of your links.
One of the best tools for this purpose is Google’s Disavow Links tool. It’s a tool that lets you import a text file containing a list of links that you’d like to remove.
This text file can be as broad as a list of all the links from a single domain or as specific as a list of URLs. Then, you can use the Google Search Console to disavow these links.
If you want to keep your rankings, you’ll need to remove any links that are harmful to your business. Spam backlinks can skew your rankings, so it’s important to get rid of them. Moreover, you’ll need to contact the website owner and ask him or her to remove the links.
A lot of websites have been penalized for poor link profiles. Although Google has improved its ability to detect link spam, the algorithms are not perfect. There are hundreds of factors that Google takes into account, and it’s possible that even if your links are clean, they might be penalized if they don’t pass the authority test.
Modern SERP features are useful for content marketers
Google has been hard at work enhancing the user experience with various SERP features. These include the news box, FAQ section, knowledge panel, and video carousels. Keeping users on the SERPs is good for Google as it keeps them in the fold and gives them access to relevant information. While the SERP features are all good, they are not the only things you should be watching for.
One of the most popular SERP features is the Featured Snippet. Often found under the ads, this small block of content focuses on a specific part of the webpage. It can be a short article, video, or even a photo, and helps answer any searcher’s query instantaneously.
The featured snippet has become such a staple of Google’s search results page that it has been deemed the future of Google Search. Even a small website can have a chance to be featured in a Featured Snippet, provided it has sufficient content to qualify.
The Top Stories block also ranks highly as a SERP feature. This mini-page includes relevant news articles, publisher names, and even time stamps. Mostly dominated by large news outlets, it can appear in any area of the SERP. In the coming months, Google will start using the mobile version of a site’s content in indexing and ranking.
The new SERP features have been made available to help mobile users gain a reliable insight without disrupting the mobile experience. To take full advantage of the features, content marketers will need to tweak their current strategies to meet the demands of today’s modern Google SERP. When considering new keyword variations, make sure to keep an eye on these features.